How mobile was the Macedonian phalanx?

**Randal** · 03-09-2011, 21:38

The Successors did use much longer pikes than Alexander did, the better to fight other pike-phalanxes with. That can't have helped tactical mobility at all.

But I think the decline of combined arms tactics had more to do with the phalanx getting outdated.

**fomalhaut** · 03-09-2011, 23:45

combined arms tactics? what is that?

**Randal** · 03-10-2011, 00:09

Uh... sorry, not sure if you're being facetious or not.

But to answer anyway: It's combining several "arms" in a cohesive whole, stronger than the sum of its parts. In Alexander's case it was the combination of his heavy cavalry (Companions, Thessalians) and heavy infantry (Phalangites, hoplites, hypaspistai) and light infantry (Agrianians, Kretans, Macedonians) which together made for a very effective army.

The successors lacked his cavalry strength in particular.

**Cute Wolf** · 03-10-2011, 00:33

I recall that sarissa can be separated in 2 parts

maybe they are sprinting using only the one half of sarrissa as normal spears

**Ludens** · 03-10-2011, 20:36

Originally Posted by Cute Wolf

I recall that sarissa can be separated in 2 parts

maybe they are sprinting using only the one half of sarrissa as normal spears

I doubt the enemy would be so obliging as to wait while the pikemen were reassembling their sarrisa after the charge. So any charging pikeman would have to fight with a normal spear during combat. In which case, why didn't they simply front the phalanx with hoplites, who have a spear and a proper shield as well?

**QuintusSertorius** · 03-10-2011, 23:29

Originally Posted by Ludens

I doubt the enemy would be so obliging as to wait while the pikemen were reassembling their sarrisa after the charge. So any charging pikeman would have to fight with a normal spear during combat. In which case, why didn't they simply front the phalanx with hoplites, who have a spear and a proper shield as well?

I'm sure I read somewhere that the promachoi/front rank might be armed in the hoplite fashion. Can't for the life of me remember where I saw it, though.

**The_Blacksmith** · 03-11-2011, 00:45

i read post this the other day and i thought to my self "I wanna try jog with a 4 meter long stick"... and I did so, and it worked... for 2 minutes, then i was exhausted

but my assesment of the "running pikes" is YES:a well drilled formation with really endurant men can do it... but, it could turn into a game of mikado if they are not carefull... the teqhnique is for the guys in front row to use their right hand held relatively close to the counterweight, to push it down... and the rest is easy peasy...

**fomalhaut** · 03-10-2011, 01:17

Originally Posted by Randal

Uh... sorry, not sure if you're being facetious or not.

But to answer anyway: It's combining several "arms" in a cohesive whole, stronger than the sum of its parts. In Alexander's case it was the combination of his heavy cavalry (Companions, Thessalians) and heavy infantry (Phalangites, hoplites, hypaspistai) and light infantry (Agrianians, Kretans, Macedonians) which together made for a very effective army.

The successors lacked his cavalry strength in particular.

no not at all, thanks for the reply.

That makes sense, i just didn't want to assume on what you meant.

**antisocialmunky** · 03-10-2011, 01:58

Every wonder what would happen if you rolled a log into a phalanx formation?

**vartan** · 03-10-2011, 02:40

Originally Posted by antisocialmunky

Every wonder what would happen if you rolled a log into a phalanx formation?

The same thing that happens in the beginning of Assassin's Creed.

**Olaf The Great** · 03-10-2011, 02:54

I recall it being mentioned long ago on this very forum that the phalanx could march backwards instead of turning around.

**QuintusSertorius** · 03-10-2011, 00:31

Originally Posted by fomalhaut

combined arms tactics? what is that?

Irrelevant to this particular question about the mobility of one particular element. I'm well aware of the other elements of the army, I'm focusing specifically on the pikemen.